Not even in the same solar system for Hanifin.

Hanifin is worth a ton more than that, and why on earth would you willingly add Cam Ward for that much?

why even add him at all? Team has no need for him. Jarry will be the backup next year.

Not right away he won't, as it stands Jarry is slated to start in the AHL. If you're looking for a backup that could replace an injured starter then Ward is probably an upgrade over DeSmith, but not at anything approaching a $1.5 million dollar upgrade. If he goes late into the summer and can't find work, sure I'd take a chance on him. As long as like 75-80% of his contract can be buried in the AHL and he doesn't come with term.

how do you get Jarry is slated to be in the AHL next year? He out played DeSmith last year. DeSmith is older, he's hit his peak, Jarry is right where he needs to be. He'll get playing time in the NHL and be ifne.

By what metric did Jarry outplay DeSmith? Regardless of stats Jarry can skip waivers and DeSmith can't, and Jarry was hot garbage in the AHL anyway so he still has something to prove.

By the Metric of when DeSmith came up and Crumbled Jarry filled in and didn't.
Jarry passes the eye test. DeSmith not so much.

Jarry will be the back up this year after resigning. Jarry skipping waivers is even more reason for that. Once you play DeSmith and he folds you can't send him back down without losing him. You can if Jarry has issues.
Not to mention that the Pens may have D'Oreo in WBS next year. They are not going to want to develop both there at time. They are going to want D'Oreo to get the time in net.

So what do you propose the Pens do with DeSmith? Tristan Jarry is not ready for the NHL, plain and simple. His numbers in Pittsburgh last year were not up to par, and he got thrashed at the AHL level. DeSmith should be more than capable of holding down the backup spot until Jarry proves himself deserving another chance, at which point if Jarry is in fact ready then the Pens could risk waiving DeSmith. Niemi got claimed twice last year after posting a GAA above 7, so its unwise to expect DeSmith to slip through if there's a team in need.

As for D'Orio, not only did he regress terribly once he was the full-time starter for St. Johns, he cannot play in the AHL next year due to age. Even if he could, you don't make roster decisions for the NHL team based upon getting a no-name goalie prospect reps.

Jarry has the net in Wilkes-Barre until there's a need for him in Pittsburgh or he proves that he's outgrown it. Neither of those conditions have been met, so Jarry is 100% starting in the AHL.

Jarry did find last year. It't not just Jarry. You have to consider what was going on in front of him. He was the best back up they had last year. At 23 years old this is it for him. It's his time to be the back up.
You aren't going to send a 23 year old goalie to go to WBS to develop. That's non sense.
DeSmith is exactly what they thought he was. An AHL goalie. I expect him to stay in WBS. He's not NHL level talent.
As for D'Oreo don't look at the stats. The QMJHL has almost no defense in it. He's getting no help playing. You will be able to judge his development when they have prospects camp.

This is nonsense. DeSmith's numbers were better, and he's not losing development time sitting as the backup because he's past the point of development. Jarry's not. You act like 23 is ancient for a developing goalie, but after last season the last thing Jarry needs is to get his head caved in once a week as Murray's backup. Let him get a few months and a ton of games in the AHL, and if he's killing it then you give him a shot. Why is that such a bad thing?

it's not 1970 anymore man. These kids have been playing goalie since they were like 14. He's 23 years old now. Put up or shut up.
How many years do you think it takes a player to "develop"
The reason you don't see some players get in at 19 is because they are either not physically ready to take the pounding on the boards, as they are still adding size, much like in the NFL where you don't see high school kids play because they need to pack on muscle. Or they are not emotionally mature. But at 23, you are either there or you aren't. I mean come on Murray is only 24 and he's been there 3 years!
I mean hell the guy has been playing hockey in leagues for 9 years!

Holtby, Andersen, Lundqvist, Crawford, and Quick all settled into the NHL at 23 or later. Murray and Fleury are extreme exceptions, and the vast majority of goalies don't stick till their mid twenties. Jarry playing the first few months of the season in the AHL to prove himself is nothing out of the ordinary.

in case you missed it the NHL finally caught the boat a few years ago. The average age of a player in the NHL is dropping fast.
The reason for this is because almost every study in existence shows that you hit your physical peek in your mid 20s and it's all down hill from there. As the NHL is evolving from some bush league sport to a real sport it has got the message. You are looking at Jarry entering into his physical peek. The only excuses at this point are if a goalie gets a late start. But you can't say that about Jarry. He's been playing for 9 years. If you haven't figured out how to play the position after 9 years you are done. He's played hundreds of games, you either have it or you don't.
10 years ago I may have agreed with you. But it's not 10 years ago. He's at the range now where his reflexes and his flexibility will never be greater. As he gets into his upper 20s and 30s he will start to slow and become less flexible. That's not a knock on him that called nature. Every athlete fights it they all lose. While they can still be a good player, even they know it's not the same as when they were in their mid 20s.
So there is no point hiding him down there to play 10 more games a year, while playing a guy you know is not it, in DeSmith. If anything it stunts his growth. He's better off practicing and playing 30 games a year and getting coaching at the NHL level than he is sitting in the AHL. Playing against players like Sesttito and McKegg aren't going to make you a better player. It's a faster game in the NHL, and if you are to hit the next step it's time to get use to it., Not rot away in your athletic peek playing with slower players.